Chapter 31
Joker couldn't believe his eyes, and his jaw dropped as he watched Joshua's strike.
‘Isn't this basically at the level of Commander Valmont?’
He would have expected to see these kinds of skills from a battalion commander, not a prepubescent brat. Alarms were ringing in his head.
‘This boy… is fucking dangerous.’ Joker clenched his teeth tightly. His instinct told him that he needed to rouse his own mana to protect himself from the splendid point of mana Joshua had gathered.
‘I'll match you… No, I'll overpower you.’
The power Joker gathered wasn't hazy or cloudy. His mana was a deeper and darker blue than the depths of the sea—the exclusive trait of a B-Class Knight.
‘No one even noticed.’
Everyone's eyes were glued on the young boy across from him. No doubt, they could feel the oppressive atmosphere as well as he could.
‘A spar between a C-Class and B-Class Knight rarely lasts this long. Under normal circumstances, the repulsive force alone would cause injuries… and my mission would be easily completed. But what is this?’
Joker's eyes narrowed. No matter how great his skills were, the boy was only a C-Class Knight, and the gap between classes was an uncrossable abyss. Yet, nobody took note of the difference in their value.
Sparks flew; weapons collided. Even as the shower of sparks faded, Joshua was slamming his foot against the ground.
"—WHAT?!" The stamina it took to perform those kicks and that footwork was astounding.
What happened next shattered all expectations.
Joshua lunged forth, thrusting his spear at Joker. His spear was too fast to track, leaving a white streak across the audience's vision.
‘That's too fast! I was going to counterattack, but… at this speed?’
The spear's speed was blinding—to his eyes, it was faster than light. All he could do was jam his sword in its path.
Lugia met Joker's sword, and the sky trembled. A swarm of white lights burst from the tip of Joshua's spear and scattered over the entire arena.
"Ugh!" Valmont was forced to shut his eyes.
‘It was so dazzling I couldn't keep watching. Is this a nine-year-old boy? This is just a test, but his skill… is fit for the battlefield!’ A bewildering flood of thoughts washed through Valmont's head.
He had never before seen someone more talented than him. Babel von Agnus, the rising star of the Empire? As talented as he was, he was famous for training in every waking moment. Valmont himself was a notch higher; he had achieved C-Class at the same age, but he had taken his time along the way to enjoy everything life could offer. As for Joshua...he was a level above them by talent alone.
When Valmont opened his eyes to brave the fading light, the first thing that caught his eyes was Joshua von Agnus. Red blood dripped from his lips.
‘No matter how powerful Joshua seemed, it was a clash between a B-Class and C-Class. The outcome was expected. No unexpected variables will emerge now.’
"...Ten steps." Joshua wiped the blood from his lips. "You took ten steps back."
Valmont was shocked. He finally looked to the other side of the arena: unlike Joshua, who stood in the middle of the arena, where he had met Joker's sword, his opponent had been pushed into the far corner. Even more incredibly, he'd had to thrust his sword into the ground to stop himself from kneeling over.
"What is this nonsense?" Valmont's voice was thick with disbelief, and no one could object to his words.
The arena was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Most of the knights just gaped blankly at Joshua and Joker. Even Evergrant, who understood little of swordsmanship, seemed mesmerized.
A small clap broke the silence.
"I really would have regretted not coming here." Prince Kaiser ben Britten applauded Joshua with a wide smile. "As a Prince of Avalon, I recognize your talent… You will truly be a gem of the Empire."
This time, Prince Kaiser's words were sincere.
"Sir Valmont, isn't this enough as far as the test is concerned?" Prince Kaiser turned towards the still-shocked knights.
"Yes? Ah…"
"Even with my cursory knowledge of swordsmanship, I think Young Master Joshua is amazing."
"Yes, of course."
Valmont drew his sword. It wasn't the sword that he usually used, but a gorgeously decorated piece given to him by the Emperor for a specific purpose. The sound of it being unsheathed rang startlingly clear through the arena.
"I, Valmont dun Brown, speak by order of His Majesty the Emperor, the Sun of Avalon."
Shiiing!
As one, the Imperial Knights drew their blades. Their swords were raised in salute, and their faces were steely and expressionless.
"Joshua von Agnus, second son of the Duke of Agnus: approach."
Joshua made a troubled expression. Although he didn't show it, he was having trouble just staying standing—the side effects of using this power had stressed him beyond his limits.
‘I have no intention of playing along with this charade, but...’ Joshua grit his teeth. ‘I never intended to show weakness.’
Everyone was watching, to say nothing of Prince Kaiser and Duke Agnus's greed for talent.
‘My whole body burned for revenge when I looked at Kaiser. If I fail now, will I ever have another chance at defeating him?’
"Are you okay?" Duke Agnus came up to his side. His eyes were clouded with worry.
‘What is this?’?Joshua chuckled.?‘I've never seen him make this face before.’
"I'm fine." Joshua gingerly made his way toward Valmont.
The hall was eerily silent except for Joshua's footsteps. The Imperial 9th Battalion, the Knights of Agnus, the Fourth Prince, Evergrant, the Duke of Agnus—everyone's eyes were locked on the small boy.
Eventually, Joshua stood proudly before Valmont. Valmont's heart raced, but his voice was steady and solemn.
This moment was the birth of the youngest mana user in the history of the Avalon Empire—no, in the history of the entire continent.
"In accordance with His Majesty's will! From this moment forth! I declare that Joshua von Agnus has passed the test and is created a C-Class Knight!"
***
The day after the test, the Imperial retinue had returned to the Imperial Palace. Of course, Prince Kaiser hadn't left without trying to seduce Joshua with his sweet promises. Joshua had deflected him with vague responses.
"Young Master Joshua… no, it's 'Sir' Joshua now… I won't say that I want you to be mine now. There will be plenty of time in the future. If you happen to be in Arcadia, please don't forget to visit me. It would be a great help for you."
"I have to ask… what kind of help are you talking about?"
"The royal family can recommend a knight for their service, which allows them to bypass the normal exam. Unlike those who take the exam, you would not be obligated to ten years of service… In other words, Sir Joshua can have his fill of honey and leave whenever he wishes."
“...”
"Obviously, this isn't something I should be saying as a member of the royal family, but I want you to know that my greed for you is that great."
Joshua couldn't help himself from laughing at the memory. When Prince Kaiser had offered him that kind smile, however, he had felt his stomach turn. If it weren't for Evergrant and Valmont, Joshua would have shoved Lugia through his foul mouth. No two words described him better than "hypocrisy" and "idiocy".
‘Contrary to public knowledge, the Imperial Knights have more than ten battalions. There are also the 11th and 12th Battalions, the knights personally brought in by the royal family through the system he was talking about.’
Among the normal battalions, the higher the number, the greater the prowess of their knights. On the other hand...
‘There is a chance for knights in the 11th and 12th Battalions to become a battalion commander.’
One just had to challenge a normal battalion’s commander.
‘The knights of these two battalions have the chance to challenge one of the commanders of the other ten battalions. And once they become commanders themselves, there is no mandatory service period, and they will be given an opportunity to set foot inside the Palace’s secret storage once a year.’
It housed an ancient artifact hidden from the public. It was one of Joshua's greatest regrets.
‘First of all, I should deal with the situation right in front of me.’
He stood before an enormous and grandiose door. This was the entrance to the largest conference room in the Agnus estate; today, the entire family was gathered there.
"In this life… You won't be treated like a puppet." Joshua muttered, his expression hardened as he gripped the doorknob.
The door creaked open.
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